


A New Home

by HikikomoriNoAria



Series: What a Romantic World We Live In [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Domestic Fluff, Family, Fluff and Angst, I shall change the rating & warning on later parts of the story, Mentions of kidnapping, Other, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, all the bad things are just for a background story, but better be safe than sorry, good parenting, it's mostly fluff, mentions of child abuse, mentions of human trafficking, rating will go up as the story progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-11 06:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4425359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikikomoriNoAria/pseuds/HikikomoriNoAria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shipped away from his home country, abused, and depressed, little Rivaille really didn't hope much for how his life would turn out. But a pair of cute chubby hands, warm and soft presence, and a pair of the brightest green eyes comes to his rescue and it was enough as his anchor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"I'm home, "

"Welcome home, dear? How was work?" - Carla asked her husband while taking the leather briefcase his husband was holding herself and proceed to help his husband taking off his coat.  
  
Grisha let out a tired sigh.  
  
“Well, sounds like you were having a tiring day”

“Can’t say otherwise,” - Grisha paused to give his wife a quick peck on her cheek - it was both physically and mentally draining

“What happened?” - Carla asked a little more worried now  
  
They both walked in and Grisha plopped himself down to the couch in the immediate living room just a few steps from the foyer of their house.  
  
  
"We have a huge emergency case today. The police were bringing in... Victims... of human trafficking for check-ups and whatnot. God, Carla, some of them were children not even ten yet. They were really thin some have severe malnutrition that they really were just skin and bones. It was... horrible."  
  
  
"Goodness..." - Carla closed her hand to her mouth giving his husband a sad look. A very sympathetic heart was one of Carla's virtue that her husband loved dearly.  
  
  
"Yeah... after talking with the police they said that somewhere sold by their parents for money, somewhere kidnapped from their home country. The ones kidnapped were easier case because they can match them with missing person reports half of them were already identified. We are keeping all the victimized children in the paediatric wing." - Grisha rubbed his nose bridge, fluttering his eyes close for a little relaxation.  
  
  
"I hope they find those poor children families soon" - Carla said with a heartfelt squeeze to her husband's hand. She walked up to the kitchen, preparing tea for her husband.  
  
  
"How about your day? Anything interesting?"  
  
  
"Oh! You will never know! Eren walked up quite a distance today! You should really see him! He was so cute! Oh! I also made a video of it, you definitely have to see!" - Carla gushed, her mood immediately brighten up at the mention of her beloved son. She brought the tea she prepared to the coffee table in front of the long couch her husband was sitting and settled herself beside him, sipping her own cup of tea.  
  
  
  
Eren was their long awaited miracle since Carla has fertility issue. The moment when the doctor said she was finally pregnant Carla immediately quit her job as a nurse to fully dedicate her time. She kept a diary since her pregnancy and still writing whatever she and her son done in the day even now that Eren is a year old. Eren has a big adorable green eyes that was similar to his father, much to Carla's delight, really soft brown locks, already thickly covering his cute head. Her everyday talk with her husband when her husband came home had been shifted to stories about Eren and Eren.  
  
Grisha felt a bit guilty that he has very little time to spend with the new addition to their family, even more so now that he was the head doctor for internal surgery department in the hospital he was working. He barely have days off at all, sometimes he even have to stay in the hospital for days on end. it was what driven him to spend every little time he managed with his wife and their child even if it was just talking or holding his son at every opportunity he found.  
  
  
  
"Oh, I’ll see that video alright. Let's dine out sometime this week, I haven't have any day off at all for more than two weeks. I think I can arrange a day that I can go to the hospital in the afternoon shift so I can spend some time with you guys in the night and the morning after."  
  
  
"Really?!"  
  
  
"Yeah, I'll check it up with the hospital" - Grisha said, giving his wife a small smile.  
  
  
"Oh! I just remember, I’m taking Eren for his check-up this month tomorrow. Maybe we can go together to the hospital."  
  
  
"Tomorrow? The supposed date is the day after, right? In 17th. Wait, today is 15th, right?"  
  
  
  
Grisha took a long sip of his tea, making a relieved sigh as the hot liquid radiated warmth in his body.  
  
Carla chuckled at her disoriented husband. Busy Grisha always forget the date of the day when he stayed in the hospital for too long.  
  
  
"It is. Eren have been sneezing a lot for a couple of days now, but he doesn't have any fever or runny nose either, just a bit cranky since he's sneezing so much. But I’m still worried, I have talked to Petra and she agreed to push the date up. So there, you got it."  
  
  
"You could have just told me, you know. I’m a doctor too." - Grisha frowned.  
  
  
"I know. And I know for a fact that you would probably ditch the hospital to go home to us, but we can't have that dr. Jaeger. No nuh," - Carla countered playfully.  
  
  
Grisha sagged his shoulders sulking, making Carla giggled at her husband childish behaviour.  
  
  
They finished their tea while having more conversation, mainly about Grisha's new case and Eren's activities in the day.  
  
  
  
"Come on, I’ll warm a bath for you so you can get some sleep," - Carla said while taking their used cup to the sink.  
  
  
"Will you go in with me?"  
  
  
"Oh my God, Grisha!" - Carla laughed at her husband's request.  
"We know for a fact that that wouldn't end very well for me, so no, thank you" - she continued with giggling to herself.  
"Come on, you are tired. Some warm bath will do you some good."  
  
  
"Okaaayy..."  
  
  
  
Carla shook her head at her husband behaviour, finding it endearing nonetheless.  
  
  


 


	2. Pain Pain Fly Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not in pain anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still learning how to use all the function here and I just realised this note thingy =3=
> 
> So... Hello? And I really hope you could enjoy this story :)
> 
> This fandom needs more RiRen fluff you know.
> 
> Oh, this was unbeta'ed? So if you come across any mistake just tell me, I shall correct them :)

"daaaddyyy!"  
  
  
"Yes Eren, it's daddy. good morning little man," - Grisha took turn to check up on Eren this morning while he let Carla to prepare breakfast for them.  
  
  
Eren reached out his hands to his father looming over his crib. he smiled wide innocently as he recognized his daddy. Grisha immediately cradded Eren into his arms, one hand on Eren's back, another holding his weight.  
  
  
"daddy... home?" - Eren asked while squeezing one of his father cheek with his cubby little fingers, his father chuckled at that.  
  
  
"uh-huh, but we are going to the hospital together after breakfast. try saying breakfast, sweetheart?"  
  
  
"...fast?"  
  
  
"breakfast, my son"  
  
  
"bee... fast?"  
  
  
"close enough," - Grisha snorted. Eren giggled at the sound his father was making, his giggle however was suddenly cut by a sneeze Eren let out. Grisha frowned at that, touching Eren's forehead to feel that he was not feverish. He started walking away from the crib to change Eren's diaper and get him ready for a trip to the hospital.  
  
"well, let's get you ready while your mood is still good." - Grisha said while nuzzling his nose to his son's.  
  
  
  
Eren giggled at the affectionate contact, just happy to finally see his daddy in real life rather than the little thin box that would only fit his father face.  
  
  
  
Eren was really cute for a boy. Grisha's heart melt at Eren's bright eyes everytime his gaze fell on his face. he was beyond delighted when Eren was born. His wife pregnancy wasn't an easy one. he has to run his wife to the emergency twice during the pregnancy for bleeding and his wife got sick more than once in the period. He offered every support he can give to his wife, sternly refused the promotion to be the head doctor so that he could care more for Carla during her pregnancy. In fact, the reason he took the promotion now was because Carla convinced him to take it now that Eren was born. Even then, Eren was born with weaker immune system, making Eren more prone to fevers and infections, which is why they made sure to take Eren for routine check ups. still, Grisha is grateful everyday for Eren being born to the family, he was proud to have Eren and loved him dearly.  
  
  
***  
  
"Okay Eren, say 'aah'"  
  
  
"...?" - Eren looked to his mother and then back to the other woman in the room in front of him. he recognized her face which was why he wasn't crying when the woman pulled her up from his mother's arms to make him sit on top of a soft mattress.  
  
  
"say 'aah' Eren, 'aah'" - Carla encouraged him with saying 'aah' helself.  
  
  
Eren finally mimicked his mother, letting out a loud voice. "'aaaaahhhh'"  
dr. Petra immediately lit up her light pen to examine inside Eren's mouth and his throat.  
  
  
Eren stopped saying ah when his mother stopped, after dr. Petra finished her assesment.  
  
  
  
"Good boy, Eren. well-" Petra was just started when Eren sneezed, cutting her speech. She smiled gently as she rubbed Eren's cubby cheek gently.  
  
  
"There doesn't seem to be any problem with his airway and he also doesn't have fever so we can ruled out infection for now. he might be developing an allergy, Carla. try making note where and when he started sneezing the most. he's not showing any sign of difficulty in breathing when he's home, is he?"  
  
  
"no, i don't think so. he seemed normal beside the fact that he sneezed a lot these couple of days. i noticed he's sneezing when he was in his room after i took him to the park the other day. the day before yesterday was the worst, he was better yesterday and today he hasn't been sneezing much."  
  
  
"I see, then there could be many possible triggers. but we can relax for now that it doesn't seem like he's having an asthma attack or any infection. i'm not going to prescribe any medication for now. just try cleaning his room some more, keep him from dust and other tiny particles like animal fur, you know the drill. but do bring him back here if he's still sneezing on friday. you can just text if he stopped sneezing before that then we can go back to our usual check up schedule.  
  
  
"Noted. Thanks petra," - Carla said while holding Eren still on her lap. Eren being the good boy he was, sitting quietly as he understood his mother was occupied. he opted to playing with his mother's bracelet instead, pulling on it then rolled them up and down his mother forearm.  
  
  
  
Petra smiled at Eren's antic and comment to Carla how much of a good boy Eren is. They talked about Eren's growth and Petra gave Carla more suggestion to further her child's development. After a good half an hour consultation, Carla excused themselves and started heading home.  
  
Carla then remembered her husband's story last night, about the victimized children. she wanted to see them somehow. she let herself to the nurse station in the pediatric department, saying hello to the nurses and doctor there, while letting Eren coming in contact with more people, though, she's still craddling Eren in her arms since Eren was so shy towards stranger.  
  
  
  
"So, what brings you here, Mrs. Jaeger?" - Asked one of the doctor who was having his break in the nurse station.  
  
  
"Oh, i was taking Eren to dr. Petra for his check up,"  
  
  
"I see, so how's it? he seemed beaming like the sun though," - the doctor said while waving at Eren from a distance. Eren hadn't warming up to his surrounding yet.  
  
  
"dr. petra said he might be developing allergy, thankfully not asthma, to something since he's been sneezing a lot for these past few days, but he's healthy for the most part."  
  
  
"oh, i guess that is still a pretty good news... one of my patient just passed away this morning because of severe malnutrition. we got to him too late" - the doctor said with a sad expression. death in paediatric department often affect the staff harder, seeing small young lives that couldn't be saved for various reason.  
  
  
"oh, i'm sorry..." - Carla said. "Could it be... from the victim of that human trafficking case?" - Carla carefully asked.   
  
She was afraid that it would breach the hospital confidentiality policy since she wasn't really part of the staff anymore but she's still curious regardless. she was a bit conflicted to ask but she saw the news about the police success in stopping a human trafficker syndicate in the morning newspaper her husband was reading just before. she figured she could dig some more information.  
  
  
"oh, i guess you saw the news?" - asked a nurse joining in their conversation  
  
  
"yes, but i also heard from my husband just the last night. is it bad?" - She asked with concern in her voice.  
  
  
the doctor nodded before elaborating more.  
"there were 23 children in total. goodness, my heart hurts just looking at them. they have been in captivity ranging from 3 days to 2 months. we spent all night doing assessment and giving treatments to them. most are in the clear, just a bit dehydrated. but 3 are in ICU for severe dehydration. another 2 were... send to the psych ward just this morning..." - the doctor seemed hesitated to continue  
  
  
"girls... there were some signs we found after assesment were concluded... one of them was even pregnant" - Alice, the nurse with them, continued with a quiet voice.  
  
  
Carla could only shake her head hearing such evident display of animalistic side of humanity. She looked at her Eren with thoughtful eyes. She can't imagine if she were to lose Eren in the way the family of those children lost them. she would probably kill herself for even letting her son out of her sight.  
  
  
"Oh, but i saw a peculiar boy in there," - Alice woke her from her thought.  
  
  
"peculiar?" - Carla repeated  
  
  
"Ah, that boy with black hair, huh" - the doctor said, knowing who the nurse implied.  
  
  
"Yes, he's 8 years old. really meek, or should i say calm? he was the only child we can actually ask about what happened. he seemed really smart for his age. but just in case, we are also putting in an appointment for him with the psych ward earlier.  
  
"he didn't show any signs of mental or emotional trauma, which i think is amazing. he was one of the children that have been in the captivity for quite long. he said he counted that he have been there for 34 days before the police got them. but really, he just seems too quiet, hence the earlier psych appointment."  
  
  
Carla hummed quietly at the new information. just when they were about to continue, Eren whined in Carla's arms. probably getting bored of listening to the adults talk that he really don't understand since it was more or less just meaningless murmur for him now.  
  
  
"mommmmyyyyy!"  
  
  
"oh boy, the little man is bored" - mused the doctor  
  
  
"mommy! home!"  
  
  
Carla chuckled at her son's whining. "Oh Eren, but we are waiting for your daddy so we can have some lunch together, you know! daddy! lunch with daddy!"  
  
  
"daddy?" - a little sniffle  
  
  
"Yes, your daddy. Oh i know, why dont we go play in the play room? you can meet a lot of other kids!"  
  
  
"play?" - Eren's eyes lit up a little at the mention of playing  
  
  
"yes, come on! wanna try walking a few steps?"  
  
  
"walking!" - Eren immediately winggled trying to come out from his mother arms. the other occupants of the nurse station laughed lightly at the display of cutesy.  
  
  
  
carla asked for permission to use the play room and were readily waved off by the doctor saying that she could use it whenever she comes here with Eren. With Eren trotting small cute steps in front of her while holding her hand as tightly as his small hand allowed, they headed towards the play room. Eren stopped every a few step or so, whenever he found a door, asking his mommy if the play room was there. his mommy would shook her head then pointed her finger ahead, giving him directions as he trotted, stopped, trotted, then stopped again. after what must be his fifth time asking his mommy, Eren puffed his cheeks then trotted faster. his eyes lit up as an opened door came to his view and rushed towards the door the best he can, letting go of his hold to his mother's hand.  
  
  
  
"Eren?! Oh, sweetie, you got the wrong room!" - Carla chased after Eren.  
  
  
  
but Eren being a swift little guy, going head first inside the room disregarding his mommy calling him. as soon as he was inside, he looked around the room. the room was painted in white, even the ceiling and the floor was white. there were two beds in the room, two bed side tables and two pair of chairs. some long curtain is tied losely, between the two bed in the room. not that Eren really know anything beside the 'bed' and 'chair', since his daddy keeps on repeating the words to him that he remembered them and associated them with the actual object. there was, however, nothing that seemed like a toy in the room, only a figure sitting on a chair by the window that viewed the landscape below of a small park the hospital made.  
  
the figure turned their head when they heard sounds of noisy foot steps.  
  
the figure was a boy. obviously a lot older from Eren. he has a round face tipical of children if not a little bit sharp in his jawline and chin. he has thin eyebrows and a slightly narrow eyes. he has black hair, as black as the color black can be. his hair was parted in the middle just a little to his right, just a little, really. the back part and a part of either side of his hair was cut short in undercut style that he get just this morning after waking up and took a bath. He has faint dark shade just below his lower eyelids, despite the fact that he wasn't even ten. he has milky white skin, almost merging with the ivory white colored hospital gown.  
  
meeting the eyes of the raven boy, little Eren took hesitant little steps towards the older boy. Something int he raven boy's eyes or probably the nothingness in the boy's eyes made Eren held up both his hands, as if silently asking the raven boy to take them. the raven hesitantly took those tiny hands, gently gripping them, albeit confused.  
  
  
_whose kid is this? a patient?_ -the older boy thought.  
  
  
Eren looked up to face the boy. his big bright green eyes met with stormy grey eyes, holding up his gaze. Eren took a little squeeze to the hands he was gripping before saying,  
  
  
  
"Pain pain flai away...?" - Eren said quietly  
  
  
  
the raven boy sucked in a startled breath. it was like it was the first breath he took after months being depraved of air like he finally drink a soothing water down his throat after months of being thirsty, like finding a light after so long in the dark. before he knew it, a streak for tears falling down his cheek, leaving a trail of wetness. almost as if a dam being blown, his tears fell freely, dripping to his lap, to the warm hands he was now gripping like a lifeline.  
  
seeing the boy before him cry made eren also teary. big blop of tears treathened to fall from the corner of his eyes.  
  
noticing this, the older boy let go of Eren's left hand then used his free hand to wipe away those tears before they fell down.  
  
  
  
"why are you crying too, brat?" - asked the raven with a rather high boyish voice.  
  
  
"pain... not away?" - Eren asked innocently  
  
  
  
the boy let out a small laugh at the question.  
  
  
  
"it's gone. i'm not in pain anymore. thank you," - he said  while adding a little squeeze to Eren's hand. The raven boy felt his facial muscle contract, forming small upward turn of the corners of this lips. It's been a long time since the last time he actually smiled. Eyes filled with a speck of affection.  
  
  
Eren look down to his hand in the older boy's hand then look up to the his face again. the raven boy gave him a small smile, signifying that he was feeling better. Seeing that the boy already could smile, Eren smiled back, revealing the few teeth he had.  
  
  
"let's play!!" - Eren said with renewed energy.  
  
  
"Play? i have no game in here though, you should go to the play room if you want to play"  
  
  
"play! plaaayy!!" - Eren said while pulling on the boy's hand in his hold.  
  
  
"Come here, Brat. how about i read you a book?" - the raven boy hold out both his hands. as though he understand, Eren immediately hold up his hands too. the raven boy pulled him up easily to his lap, letting Eren rest his back to his chest.  
  
  
Eren looked up to the boy he was sitting on. "book?" - Eren asked.  
  
  
"Yep, story book. it's too childish for me but it should be alright for you. here, listen well." - the raven boy brought the story book he laid at the window sill to his lap, in front of Eren, holding it at each upper corner.  
  
  
  
Eren understood that he was being read a story just like how his mother would read to him every night before he goes to sleep, if he wasn't asleep already after a busy day of playing. He sat quietly listening to the smooth voice of the older boy. he would look up from time to time, taking in the older boy expression. when the raven noticed him, he would smile to Eren then continued his reading. Eren would make cheerful comment here and there, putting his hands on each of the raven boy's forearm then looking up trying to make a conversation with the boy. the raven boy humored Eren, taking in what he has to say until he is finished before adding his own comment.  
  
  
  
\----  
  
  
  
By the time the raven boy finished reading the story, it was nearing lunch time and he started wondering where the mother of the child on his lap were. he was thinking of calling the nurse when a soft knock sounded from the door leading to his treatment room.  
  
  
  
"Eren," - Carla softly called Eren.  
  
  
"Mommy!" - Eren turned his head almost instantly the soon as he heard his mother's voice. he winggled his way down from the raven boy's lap and run the short distance to his mother by the door. he crashed himself to his mommy's leg before dragging her with him to get to the boy he was playing with.  
  
  
"I... play!" - Eren said while pointing to the raven boy.  
  
  
Carla giggled at her son's trying to introduce a new friend. when she arrived a feet away from the boy on the chair, she squat down so that her eye level is slightly lower than the boy.  
  
  
"Thank you for playing with Eren, I'm Carla, what's your name, sweetheart?" - Carla asked.  
  
  
"it's Rivaille..." - answered the boy quietly. he was playing with the hem of his hospital gown, feeling a little bit nervous.  
  
  
"I see! Thank you for taking care of Eren, Rivaille," - Carla said with a smile.  
  
  
"it's nothing, i was just reading him a book" - Rivaille answered meekly.  
  
  
"Reee...viiiii?" - Eren interrupted their conversation.  
  
  
Carla chuckled at his son attempt to say Rivaille's name.  
  
  
"it's Rivaille, Eren"  
  
  
"Le...vi?"  
  
  
Rivaille smiled. holding out his hand and ruffled Eren's messy brown lock softly.  
  
  
"I guess that's as far as you could say it. that's right, Eren. I'm Levi."  
  
  
"Levi!!" - Eren let go of his mother then hugged Levi, squeezing his short arms around him.  
  
  
"my, you really like Rivaille, huh" - Carla mused.  
  
  
"He's awfully familiar with stranger, you should be careful..." - Levi said quietly to Carla.  
  
  
finding it amusing, Carla stood up and stroke Levi's hair gently.  
  
  
"Oh, but he is really shy... he wouldn't go with anyone except me, his father and his doctor. so you must be special for him to be this attached already."  
  
  
Levi blushed at the comment, not knowing what to do, he opted playing with Eren's hair, whose head was now laying on his lap.  
  
  
"i'm glad then..." - levi countered.  
  
  
"how about it, Rivaille? I'm about to go to lunch with my husband in a family restaurant just beside this hospital. Eren seemed to be really fond of you, would you like to have lunch with us? you are allowed to have solid meal yes?" - Carla asked as she stood.  
  
  
Levi whipped his head looking up, surprised at Carla's invitation. He opened his mouth to say something but he refrained and looked down again. Eren was now mumbling incoherent words into his lap, somehow finding interest in Levi's hospital gown.  
  
  
"Tha-thank you, but i'll refrain, i don't want to impose to your family's meal."  
  
  
"my, you know so many difficult words for your age. but it's fine, Grisha certainly won't complain and i'm sure Eren will be happy if you can join us."  
  
  
Eren looked up at the mention of his name. He exchanged look with his mother then Levi. Levi stroke his hair again and Eren happily leaned to his touch.  
  
  
Levi shook his head. He felt really happy to be invited and he knew that they were good people. they were tolerable but he wasn't so sure how he would respond if they to that family restaurant Carla talked about. he had always hated the crowd, even more so now after this incident. he will be ashamed if he were to panic and he was afraid if Eren also thought he was lame, though he also have his doubt if Eren even know what being lame mean.  
  
  
"i'm sorry, but i can't stand the crowd. i will just eat my lunch here." - Levi continued.  
  
  
"aw, i guess it can't be helped then. "  
  
  
a short silence.  
  
  
"mommy?"  
  
  
"come Eren, we are going to lunch with daddy," - Carla held out her arms. Eren peeled himself from Levi and let his mother craddle him to her chest.  
  
  
"lunch?" - Eren asked his mother.  
  
  
"Yes, sweetheart. Lunch with daddy."  
  
  
Eren looked back to Levi. "Levi lunch too?" - He asked.  
  
  
Knowing that Eren was probably asking if he were going to have lunch with them, Levi shook his head. He slowly stood up to gain more height.  
  
  
"No, Eren. I'm going to eat here."  
  
  
Eren pouted while tears started welling in the corner of his eyes. "Levi lunch with Eren!!!" - He started whining.  
  
  
Levi reached out his right hand and stood at his toes, touching Eren's cheek. "Don't cry, Eren."  
  
  
Eren sniffled. "Levi lunch..." - he repeated.  
  
  
Levi gave him a small smile and continued to rub Eren's cheek gently. Carla stayed quiet observing the exchange. She was pleasantly surprised at how fast Eren was attached to the raven boy.  
  
  
"I can't go Eren. But you can come play with me again if you want. I will be waiting here."  
  
  
"Play... with Eren again?" - Eren asked.  
  
  
"Uh-huh" - Levi nodded. "I will play with you when you come here again." - levi said as he took his hand back to his side.  
  
  
"promise?" - Eren asked. He rubbed the back of his hand back and forth to his eyes to erase the tears that was about to fall.  
  
  
"I promise, Eren." - Levi said, hopefully calming the upset boy.  
  
  
"okie..." - Eren said. He turned his head to hide his face in her mother's shoulder while gripping the fabric there tightly.  
  
his mother smiled then gently rubbed his back.  
  
  
"Then i guess it's time to go. thank you again, Rivaille" - Carla said while stroking Levi's hair.  
  
  
Levi nodded. he watched Carla go while craddling Eren in her arms. just before Carla entered the hallway, Eren raised his head so that he could see Levi over his mother's shoulder.  
  
  
"Bye bye, Levi!" - Eren said while waving his hand, his eyes was still glassy because of tears.  
  
  
Levi returned the gesture. "Bye bye, Eren" - He replied quietly.  
  
His heart however, was overjoyed. He somehow enjoyed the boy's company. He was always told that he was too quiet and boring, eventually losing his frieds long before this incident happened. He thought that he would probably always be alone and somehow convinced that he had accepted being alone. His peers are idiots and bullies anyway. But Eren was different, granted that Eren was still too small to actually be a bully or anything but the baby was tolerable. He was warm. He was soft, and something about him was gentle. Leaving Levi wanting to be in his proximity and he liked the feeling. After being so void, he liked feeling again.  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

"He's awfully quiet, did something happen at check-up?" - Grisha asked Carla as they sat in a booth at the family restaurant just beside the hospital. Grisha's break didn't really allow them to go too far from the premise.  
  
  
"Oh, nothing unsual. It's just that he's sad because his new friend can't come to have lunch with us." Carla explained. she looked to her left side where Eren is seated in a high chair fidling with his toy octopus that she carried anywhere inside the Eren's diaper bag, along with many other things. he looked unsually forlorn but she can't help her smile when she   
remembered the reason.  
  
  
"A new friend?"  
  
  
"Yes. I was really surprised! We were in the paediatric wing after the check-up with Petra. I was taking him to the play room but he suddenly run by himself and entered a patient room, when i came for him, he was gripping the hand of a crying boy sitting by the window. i thought at first that it was Eren who made him cry, turns out, the boy was thanking him, saying that he wasn't in pain anymore. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT, Eren is normally really shy but he warmed up to the boy real quick, they were even reading a story book. I have never seen Eren so happy about reading a book, he even made a comment or two and the boy humored him. it was really cute. In the end, I even have to pry him off the boy since Eren insisted he wants the boy to come with ."  
  
  
"Really?!" Grisha was also aware of how shy Eren was towards stranger, he almost always stay quiet or skittish around stranger he found his wife's story a little bit hard to believe. "Which patient was it?" Grisha couldn't help to feel intrigued.  
  
  
"He said his name is Rivaille. A boy with black hair. Although, I didn't see any injury on him, i don't know what he meant when he said he wasn't in pain anymore."  
  
Eren looked at his mother at the mention of the familiar sounding name, frowning while giving his mother a questioning look.  
  
Grisha frowned thoughtfully trying to recall if he ever met the boy. He was part of the internal medicine team but they also sometimes perform surgery for and accepted reference from the paediatric ward. A Eureka look come across his face then he looked at his son across his seat, moving to gently stroke his son hair. Making Eren turned his attention towards his daddy.  
  
  
"daddy?" Eren asked. Grisha just smiled and turned to look at his wife.  
  
  
"That was one of the victim in the case i told you about last night."  
  
  
Carla let out a quiet 'oh', waiting for her husband to elaborate more.  
  
  
"I was one of the night shift doctor that was called to the emergency to help. In fact, I was the one who performed the initial assessment for him. He's not badly hurt anywhere physically, just a large brush on the left side of his abdomen, someone probably kicked him a few days prior..." Grisha frowned at the mention of the injury, he rubbed Eren's cheek one last time then took his hand back in front of him to rest them on top of the table. "He was really quiet, doesn't look like he was afraid or traumatised either. Just... quiet. After giving him the clear, he was send to the paediatric ward with about 5 or 6 other children. I don't know what happened during his captivity but he was probably depressed. Eren might have somehow helped him. Being 'in pain' is probably the best he could say about it."  
  
  
"I see..." Said Carla absentmindedly. Eren sneezed again, spreading drool to his face which made him grimaced and turned to his mommy, Carla swiftly took out tissue to clean Eren face.  
  
  
"He's still sneezing?"  
  
  
"Mm, but it's clearly subsiding. Petra said that other than he might have allergy, there is nothing to worry about. She said to come back on Friday if he's still sneezing by then."  
  
  
"I guess that's the most we can do. He doesn't have any fever either. Just in case, I'll ask for a soothing balm, maybe that could make him more comfortable breathing. Sneezing so much would make him more tired and cranky." Grisha offered.  
  
  
"Ok, doctor" Carla replied with a smile. She understood that her husband probably still worried and she was more than happy to have other means to calm Eren's sneezing fit.  
  
  
"Oh, and, although Petra said only to come in Friday, Eren and the boy somehow made a promise to play together again tomorrow. Can I take him to the hospital tomorrow to?"  
  
  
"They're making a play date?" Grisha asked with surprise in his tone.  
  
  
"uh-huh"  
  
  
"If he's allowed visitor then I guess that's okay,"  
  
  
"Alright. I have asked Alice and his doctor in-charge, you know, that young intern, he said that the boy is still under observation but he said it's fine."  
  
  
"Well, Thomas is always too easy-going but I guess that's great. Just make sure to come at visitor hours. They are being lax because you're my family but it's best to avoid bending too many rules"  
  
  
Carla chuckled then nodded. She turned her attention back to Eren.  
  
"Did you hear that, Eren? We are going back to the hospital tomorrow so that you can play again with your friend, Rivaille."  
  
"Ree...vi?" Eren asked in confusion.  
  
"Yes. Play again, with Levi!"  
  
Eren's face brightened at the mention of Levi. "Play again!" He repeated. He bounced his stuffed octopus on table out of excitement, making squeaking sound.  
  
"Wow, you're right. He seems to really like the boy. What did you play with Levi, Eren?"  
  
"Book!" Eren squealed while turning to his father.  
  
"Oh, he reads you a book?"  
  
"uh-huh!"  
  
"Good for you," Grisha said.  
  
Eren gave him a toothy grin at that, going back to playing with his plush octopus. Not long after, their lunch was served and Eren inhaled his lunch so that he could hurry up and play with a new toy that came with the kid lunch set his mother ordered for him.  
  
  
  
After lunch, Eren and his mother went separate way with his father. Grisha walked back to the hospital, after calling a cab for his family. Eren continued to wave at him through the back window of the car. Grisha could only smile at his son, while waving until he deemed Eren won't be able to see him anymore.  
  
The ride home was quiet for a few minutes, until Eren tugged at his mother's sleeve, demanding her attention.  
  
"Mommy,"  
  
"What's wrong honey?"  
  
"Daddy... home tonight?"  
  
Carla made a troubled face.  
  
"I'm sorry, Eren. Daddy can't come home tonight, he has work."  
  
"Work?"  
  
"Yes, that's why we had lunch with daddy today. But don't worry, we will see daddy tomorrow too since we will be going to see Riv- Levi again!"  
  
"See Levi again?" Eren asked hopefully. His attention immediately shifted at the mention of Levi.  
  
"Yep. You can play with Levi again tomorrow! Hopefully, he won't be too busy,"  
  
Eren smiled wide with sparkling eyes at the prospect of playing with his new friend again. He was going to bring Mr. Octopus too so that they can play together. Eren clapped his hands happily, bouncing up and down on his mother lap.  
  
"You really like Levi, huh?"  
  
"Yess!!!" Eren said loudly.  
  
Carla chuckled that her son was back cheerful. She made a mental note to talk with Rivaille to get to know the raven boy more.  
  
\---  
  
"Levi! Levi! Levi! Levi!" Eren cheered happily as he trotted with his mother towards Levi's room. His sneezing fit have stopped which added to his cheerfulness.  
  
Thomas, the doctor in-charge of Levi, walked with the mother and son duo, smiling at Eren.  
  
He chuckled. "He really takes a liking to Rivaille, huh?" Thomas asked as he was already told by Carla about yesterday.  
  
"Yes, he nearly fell from his crib since he was so eager," Carla said while shaking her head even though she was smiling.  
  
Thomas laughed lightly. "Well, this would be good for the kid too if he also liked Eren's company. In fact, he looked much better yesterday at the afternoon check-up. He just finished his appointment with the psychiatric this morning and the doctor also said he was recovering. Eren's company must have calmed him down and bringing some semblance of normalcy for him. Considering he had been held captive for quiet long."  
  
"I see," Carla smiled softly at Eren who was just focusing and walking towards Levi room.  
  
They arrived in front of Levi room but the door was closed. Eren tried to open the door with gripping at the outline of the door and pulled, the door didn't buldge. Eren looked up to his mother, confused.  
  
Thomas laughed heartily. "Here, I'll help you, Eren"  
  
He opened the door, sliding it to his right.  
  
As soon as the room interior come to his view, Eren called out with his loud voice.   
  
"Levi!!!"  
  
Levi, who was laying down on his bed, sat up straight, startled at the sudden intrusion. He blinked once, before he finally registered the bright smile on Eren's face.  
  
"Eren..."  
  
"Levi!" Eren squealed at the top of his lung, running hastily towards Levi's bed.  
  
Levi pushed his body down the bed, catching Eren right before the boy slammed to the foot of the bed.  
  
"Easy there," he said softly.  
  
Eren giggled aloud, gripping the back of Levi's clothes. Levi smiled, feeling warm that the little brunet was this happy to meet him.  
  
"Levi, let's play!" Eren said while pushing away from Levi to look directly at his face. His eyes sparkle with excitement  
  
"...okay, I guess we can go to the play room today..." Levi trailed off and made eye contact with the two adult, who came with Eren, in front of him.  
  
"You are free to go around here, Rivaille. You could use some exercise." Said Dr. Thomas, as Levi know him.   
  
Carla nodded at him, a bright smile on her face as always. "Let's go," she said.  
  
\---  
  
"You can't put that into that hole, Eren. The shape is different," Levi said for the third time.  
  
"Shape?" Eren asked the same question like the two occasion before. Again.  
  
  
 _This brat..._ Levi thought to himself.  
  
  
  
  
Arriving in the Play Room, Eren suddenly run towards a huge box with collection of block toys. He called Levi over, to which the raven complied. He sat right beside Eren who almost toppled himself over into the box, making a mess of its content.  Levi's hand immediately shot to the brunet's sides holding him down. After looking through the content (more like making a huge mess of it), Eren pulled at rather big box, with dull edges and holes all over its side with different shapes. He turned  then showed it to Levi as a silent plea to play with it. Which brought them to the current situation, where Eren is forcing a star shaped small block into a circular hole on the box.  
  
  
  
"Yes Eren, come here," Levi beckoned Eren to come closer.  
  
Now, Levi was not touchy-feely by nature. He absolutely hates it when other kids so much as touched his hand. It got worse with the incident. He would flinch at every possibility of getting touched. But touching Eren was different. Though he didn't exactly know why. It probably had to do with their first encounter, but really, touching Eren was nice. He was warm, and Levi reveled to it. So, when Eren scooted until his tiny shoulder touched his side, Levi heaved Eren to sit on his lap as Eren squealed in delight. He felt Eren rested his back against his chest. Levi saw from the corner of his eyes Carla just smiled seeing them. The kind woman sat on a long bench near the wall to the left side of the room, talking with a nurse while overseeing them.   
  
Levi foucused his attention back to Eren. He took the big box in his hands, taking over from Eren, and placed the box in front of them both.  
  
  
"See here?" Levi asked while tracing his finger at the outline of the circular hole on the box.  
  
"Uhuh," Eren hummed. Letting Levi know that he was paying attention.  
  
"This shape is called a circle, Eren"  
  
"circle?" Eren asked. He twisted his body so that his head and half his torso is turned to face Levi.  
  
"Yes, this is circle,"  
  
"Circle!" Eren repeated. Facing ahead again, pressing his back against Levi's chest snugly.  
  
"That's right, circle. Now, this," Levi pointed to the star shaped block in Eren's hand. "is called star. A star shape, it has five legs." Levi explained.  
  
Eren pursed his mouth into an 'o' shape in awe. "Star..." He repeated.  
  
"Yep, see. This hole is circle," Levi traced his finger into the outline of the circular hole on the box. "And this, is a star. They are different, so, this star cannot go in here," He added.  
  
Eren traced his fingers to the star in his hand then to the outline of the circle on the box, following Levi's example.   
  
"Circle, no legs!!" Eren exclaimed. He turned to see Levi was smiling at him.  
  
"That's right Eren, circle doesn't have legs. Good job," said Levi.  
  
Eren squealed and clapped his hands in front of him. He understood that Levi was praising him. A praise meant he did something good. Him doing something good made his mommy and daddy happy so he must have made Levi felt happy. Eren was happy that Levi was happy.  
  
Levi reveled in the warm body against him and the cheerful squeal coming from Eren. The little brunet's happy voice made him somehow felt relaxed and safe.  
  
"Now, let's try finding the right hole to put the star into the box,"   
  
Levi helped Eren finding the star shaped box and let Eren push the star in by himself. Eren screamed happily when the star went in the correct hole. He suddenly left Levi's lap then crawled to where he was sitting before and grabbed as many block as he can before trotted back to Levi and sat on Levi's now crossed legs. Wordlessly asking the older boy to put them in the box together with him. Levi easily complied and played with Eren until all the block were safely inserted to the box. While playing together, he caught Carla looking at them with a loving look from the corner of his eyes. He felt that Eren must have been really loved and he somehow felt the urge to take care of Eren while he was here.  
  
Drowning in his thought, Levi was startled when Eren cheered at the completion of their game. Responding, he tightened his hold on Eren's middle and looked down at Eren who was also looking up at him.  
  
"Good job, Eren." he praised softly  
  
Eren squealed and got up on his feet only to throw himself towards Levi. The both children went tumbling to the floor with Levi squashed under the merrily laughing little brunet. Eren's cheerfulness was so contagious that Levi can't help the soft laugh escaped from his mouth.  
  
Noticing the raven laughing, Eren wiggled himself out of Levi's hold and crawled away on all four, only to turn back facing Levi who was still laying on the floor, turning his head to face Eren. Eren sat on his bottom and clapped his hands, then going back on all four. Seemingly waiting for something.  
  
Experimentally, Levi turned to his stomach then got on his hands and knees, looking at Eren, whose eyes lit up like stars looking at him. Levi padded about two steps with his hands and all of a sudden then brunet was screaming in delight and zoomed away from Levi.   
  
Knowing that the game had changed, Levi chased Eren albeit rather slowly in order to give the little guy sometime to escape a bit longer. Eren was both screaming and laughing, moving in cirle just around the play area that was fenced with shallow colorful plastic fences that was covered in fluffy fabric, probably to avoid injuring young children playing to clse to it.  
  
Both children was excitedly playing tag while crawling. Carla who was left alone now, sit back looking fondly at her son and his new friend playing happily. She was about to call out to Eren to tell him to be careful when Eren's hand slipped on the floor and he fell forward head first. The room was suddenly quiet.  
  
Levi had stopped chasing Eren, instead standing up then ran the short distance to sit beside the still brunet, still planting his face to the floor.  
  
"Eren... you okay?" Asked Levi warily. He was afraid that Eren had hurt himself. He turned to Carla but the mother was still sitting on the bench in the corner. He turned back to Eren who was now slowly getting back up and sit. His feet slayed in front of him.  
  
"Levi..." The brunet whimpered, holding out both his hands.  
  
If that wasn't enough, then the raven wouldn't know what would, to get him to take those hands and pull Eren towards him. He circled one of his arm to the upper back of Eren and other arm just below his bottom. Levi heaved both of them up so he was cradling Eren's small form in his arms, rocking him slightly. Eren hid his face in Levi's shoulder but Levi noticed that his shirt was wet and he could hear small sniffles.  
  
"Eren... Hey buddy... let me see your face," Levi said softly.  
  
Eren shook his head. No. he gripped tight on the back of Levi's shirt.  
  
"Come on little guy, I need to see if you're not bleeding. You know, red water running down from your nose," He said while   
  
nuzzling Eren's head.  
  
A short silence. Slowly, Eren raised his head. His face was a mess of snot and tears. Levi would have grimaced in disgust if it was any other kid, but looking at Eren made him actually feel a little sad too. He let go of Eren's back a little to wipe the tears and snot with his sleeve then rock him up to settle on his hip better.  
  
"Does your nose hurt?"he asked.  
  
The brunet shook his head while whispering a small 'no'.  
  
"Where does it hurt, Eren?"  
  
Eren let go one of his grip on Levi's shirt to prod his pointer finger to his forehead, making miserable face. It was actually really cute, Levi was torn between worrying and laughing.  
  
  
  



End file.
